Electrically-operated station-indicator.



rim 784,019. PATBNTED MAR. 7, 1905.

E. K.- ADAMS, DEGD. E. D. ADAMS, BKEGUTOR.

ELEUTRIGALLY OPERATED STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1- WITNESSES: YNVENTOR g mkw Zrnexiflffldamx- PATENTED MAR. '7, 1905.

E. K. ADAMS, DBGD.

E. 1). ADAMS, EXEOUTOE. ELEGTRIGALLY OPERATED STATION INDICATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 10, 1904. V

4 SHEETS-$3331 3.

PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905. E. K. ADAMS, DEGD.

z. n. ADAMS, axnnmon. ELEGTRIGALLY OPERATED STATION INDICATOR.

APPLIQATION FILED MAR. 10, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R N E V N V w I 0 n 4 4 n mm Hm m5 I m m K m m WITNESSEZ; M616.

No. 784,019 PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

B. K. ADAMS, DEOD.

n. 1). ADAMS, nxncn'ron.

ELECTRIGALLY OPERATED STATION INDICATOR.

' APPLIOATIOH FILED mm. 10, 1904.

4 SHEETS-BEBE! 4.

WITNE SSES: INVENTOR firizeJ-tfiffldamw wimnn Smarts Patented Ill/[arch 7, 1905 ERNEST K. ADAMS, OF NEW YORK, Y.; EDWARD DEAN ADAJ/[S EXEOUTOE OF SAID ERNEST K. ADAMS, DECEASED.

ELECTWlCALLY-UPEWMTED Sl'ltTlUNdNDlU/XTOW.

SPECIFXCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784:,019, dated March '7, 1905.

Application filed March 10, 1904- $erial No. 197.532.

T (LU whont it may concern.-

Be it known that .l, Enuns'r K. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States. residing in New York, Manhattan borough, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Operated Station-lndicators, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is designed more particularly for enabling timely warning to be displayed to the passengers of a train while an rout/2 indicative of the successive stations or depots at which successive stops are to be made.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide electrical means for controlling the shifting of a visual indicator step by step some time before a stop is made at a station and to permit under the control of a guard, motorman, or other train attendant the name of the station to be made known to the inmates of each car comprised in the train; and in the embodiment (if the invention disclosed in the present instance the operation of any single circuit-controllingswitch serves to effect the shifting of all the indicators upon the train-that is, each indicator in each car.

An organization of devices embodying the present improvement includes a suitable carrier upon which are marked or otherwise designated the names in succession of the stations along the route. This carrier in the preferred form thereof consists of a flexible belt or band the ends of which are wound upon tension-rolls, whereby during the alternate action of each roll as a supply and takeup roll, respectively, a tension is maintained upon the portion of the belt between them. For the purpose of positively actuating the belt a pin-drive may be used comprising, preferably, a series of radially-extemling pins located at opposite ends of a drive roller or drum and engaging with the belt, while the drive-roller is itself actuated through drive mechanism comprisinga suitable electric motor associated with each indicator. Obviously as many of such indication-carriers may be mount-ed in each car as desired that is to say, it is immaterial so far the scope of the in vention is concerned whether an indicationcarrier be mounted at each end of the car or a pair of the same be mounted in the middle thereof and face in opposite directions. For the convenient actuation of all the indication carriers --that is, of the drums of the carriers-simultaneously the circuits of the respective actuating-motors may be connected in multiple arc with the two sides or leads of the main or power circuit, and there is employed in this instance a separate neutral wire for each indicator, these wires running from end to end of the train, (connection between the contiguous ends of a neutral wire to connect the wire on one car with the corresponding wire on the next car being made by some suitable form of flexible connection.) All of these neutral wires are temporarily energized by the actuation of any one of the switches provided at the desired point or points on the car or train, and the temporary energization of the neutral wires serves to initiate the movements of the motors of all the indication-carriers. After such movements are initiated the motors continue to rotate for a period suflicient to advance the carriers and bring the next indication to view despite the fact that the neutral wires may have been deenergized by the release of the actuated switch, as will presently appear'. Reversing-switches and various other devices are preferably coinprised in the organization, these latter devices being in association with the indicationcarriers and operating to prevent the overrunningof the carrier at each successive movement thereof, as well as to prevent the overwinding of the carriers as their ends are approached.

The drawings accompanying the present specification set forth an embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings, liigure 1 is a longitudinal section of the end portion of a car, illustrating one of the ways in which an indicator may be mounted at one end of the car, while one of the actuating-switches is indicated under the bonnet or hood of the latter. Fig. 2.

is an interior view of a car looking toward one end thereof. Fig. 3 1s a plan view of one of the indicators, the inclosing cover or cas- I each side of the belt is a reinforcing, prefering being removed and the parts of the mechanism being shown mounted upon the baseplate of the indicator. Fig. 1 is an enlarged view looking from the right in Fig. 3, the casing being broken away. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view looking'from the .left in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of an improved form of switch which may be used for controlling the circuits of the actuating-motors of the indicators. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of such switch. Fig. 8 is an elevation look: ing from the left in Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits and wiring of a plurality of indicators, illustrating the relation of two. of the indicators on the train to the power-circuit and the neutral wires.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures.

As already stated, the preferred form of indicator comprises an indication-carrier in the nature of a belt upon which the successive station designations are marked, while the ends of such belt extend over and are secured to spring'rollers which serve to maintain the portion of the belt between the rollers under tension, thereby clearly exposing the name of the station on the belt through the sight-opening of the indicator-casing. Vv hile, therefore, itis to be understood that other forms and constructions of indicators may be used than that illustrated in the drawings. the particular construction illustrated and now to be described is one found to be suitable for practical appli cation.

Each illustrated indicator comprises a baseplate 1, to which adjacent to the ends thereof are secured supporting-brackets 2 and 3, their attachment being made by means of screws 4.. These brackets constitute means for supporting spring-rollers and the actuating-drum of the indicator, as well as other parts. The various parts and mechanisms mounted upon each base-plate are inclosed 'by a cover or hood 5, screws 6 securing the latter to lugs 7, extending from the base-plate. In the front portion of the cover is a sight-opening over which is laid a glass plate 8, secured by a clampingring 9 against a soft washer 10. Lugs 11 and 12, extending from the cover, provide means for the pivotal mounting of aclosure 13, which when swung downward covers the sight-opening and when swung upward exposes the legend Next station. Spring-clips 1 1 and 15 may be used to hold the closure in its swung-up position. (See Figs. 1 and 5.) Journaled in the brackets2 and3 are spring-rollers l6 and 17, as well as an actuating drum or roller 18, provided at its opposite ends with radially-extending drive-pins 19. The indication carrier or belt (designated by 20) is provided with the proper station designations, such as 21, placed a proper distance apart from end to end of the belt, the ends of the latter being secured to the spring-rollers 16 and 17. Adjacent to ably metallic, strip 22, in which are formed openings provided with eyelets or gromets 23 for the engagement therewith of the drivepins 19. It will be noted particularly in Figs. 4 and 5 that one of the spring-rollers is mounted adjacent to one side of the cover 5, while the actuating-drum 18 is mounted at the opposite side thereof, the other spring-roller being located between the first spring-roller and the drum. The indicator-belt therefore passes from one rolleraround the drum to the other roller, and in order to insure the proper engagement of the drive-pins on the drum with the eyeleted openings at the edges of the belt presser-rollers 26 and 27, adjacent to one end of the drum, and 33 and Set, adjacent to the opposite end thereof, are used to force the belt into intimate contact with the drum. The presser-rollers are grooved and bear upon the belt adjacent to the point where the belt leaves the periphery of the drum. Each pair of presser-rollers are spring-pressed toward each other, the rollers 26 and 27'being mounted upon respective levers 24. and 25, pivoted by pins 29 and 30 and drawn together by a spring 28, and the rollers 33 and 34 being mounted upon respective levers 31 and 32, pivoted by pins 36 and 37 and drawn together by a spring 35.

Referring to intermittent drive mechanism, which species of mechanism is used in this instance for insuring precision in the length of each step in theadvancing movement of the drum 18, 38- indicates a gear provided with alternate untoothedportions and sets of teeth and rigid with the drum. With this gear is adapted to engage a drive-pinion 39, mounted in the bracket 2. It will be noted that the pinion 39 has not its full complement of teeth, a portion of its periphery being full and untoothed; such untoothed portion is adapted to engage with the successive untoothed concave recesses on the gear 38 and during such engagement constitutes a locking device for holding the drum in the position to which it has been just previously shifted by the driving action of the teeth of the pinion, the gear 38 is not only halted by such device during the I remainder of the rotation of the gear 39, but upon the halting of the gear 39, and, in fact, during its idle rotation, the drum is held from accidental movement-such, for instance, as is incident to jarring of the car or shocks to the apparatus. The drum is so held until the teeth on the gear 39 are brought into mesh with those adjacent to the concave face on the gear 38, which has been engaged by the gear 39.

Attached to the shaft 10 of the pinion 39 is a worm-wheell, with which engages a worm 12 on a shaft 43, journaled in extensions 44 and 15 of the bracket 2. The shaft of the worm-wheel connects in this instance with the shaft of the electric motor of the indicator by means of a sprocket-wheel-and-chain connecreams tit tion comprising a sprocket-wheel 4.6 on the shaft 43 and an engaging chain 457, which also passes over a sprocket'wheel 48, secured to the armature-shali't Q9 of the motor 50. This motor in the form thereof illustrated embodies an armature 51 and liehl-magnets 52 and 53, secured to the base-plate l of the indicator by bolts 5 k and 55.

It being here premised that the actuation of any one of the switches provided for controlling the shifting of the ind icators on the train serves to temporarily energize the neutral wires, (this energization resulting in the energization of the licld-magnets of the motors,) it should be stated that the initial movement of the mechanism comprised in each indicator apparatus renders the energization of the field-magnets of the motors thereafter independent of the condition of the neutral wires, (which may have been deenergized by the return of the switch or switches to their normal position.) This result is el'lected by breaking the circuit in which each electric motor is included as soon as the motor has shifted the belt to each of its stopping positions in turn, the circuits remaining broken during such time as the respective indicz'ttors remain at rest. When, however, the initial movementaforesaid has been established, the circuit is completed in the following manner: A plate 56 of insulating material, such as libel, is let into the face of the worm-wheel i1, and with which face there is adapted to engage a contact piece or brush 57, located in a holder 58 and held against such face by a compression-spring 59, interposed between the brush and the adjustable bottom of the holder, said brush being in the path of the plate of insulation. The holder is insulated, as by a liber bushing 60, held in a split, boss 61, which may be clamped together by a screw (2 to lix the holder tightly in position. The function of this contact piece or brush will be later described in the explanation given of the electric circuits.

Some means is preferably provided for pre venting the momentum of the parts upon the breaking of the circuit through the motor from carrying the beltbeyond the proper position thereof to expose the proper station designation through the sight-opening in the casing. .In the particular means illustrated such arrest of movement is accomplished by a brake, which comprises in the construction shown an arm 63, extending from one of the bearing-arms of the armature-shaft and secured to the latter by screws 64:. Upon this arm 63 are mounted electromagnets and 66, with the cores of which are associated brake-levers 67 and 68, respectively, mounted by respective pivot-pins 69 and 70 and. having at their ends brake-shoes urged by a spring 71 toward and against a brake or friction disk 7 2, secured to the armature-shaft LS). When the electromagnets 65 and 66 are encrgizcd that is, when the current passing through and operating the motor 50 to thereby shift the indicatioiii bclt--thc brake shoes are drawn away from the disk '72. WV hen, however, such circuit is broken, the spring 71, pressing the shoes against the brake-disk, speedily brings the armatureshaft, and hence the actuating-drum 18 of the belt, to rest.

The direction in which the motorshifts the i1'1dieatorbelt is under the control of a reversing-switch; when in one extreme position, this switch produces such a relation of the circuit as to cause the z'trl'nature to rotate in one direction, while when in the opposite extreme position such conditions are reversed and the motor runs in the; reverse direction. The train attendant by merely tllrowing this lever when at the end of the route enables the belt to unwind in the proper direction to indicate the successive stations on the return journey. The switch construction illustrated comprises a switch-lever 71:3, to which are secured metallic condnoting-plates 75 and 7G. The former is adapted to engage with contact-lingers '79 and when the lever is in one extreme position and with contactlingers 83 and 84: when the lever is in the opposite position. The plate 76 is similarly adapted to engage with contact-iingers 81 and 82 and coi'ltact-iingers and 86, all of the said lingers being allixed to a block of insulating material 77, attached by screws 78 to the bracket 3. The electrical connection with these lingers will be specified in the explamttiol'i here" inafter given of the electric circuits. The Wei-running of the belt in the event of the reverse-switch lever not having been thrown over at the end of the route that is to say, when substantially the entire belt has been wound up on one of the tension-rollers, and hence nearly all unwound from the other is prevented by a safety device, which in the construction illustrated comprises a pair of levers 93 and 94., pivoted, respectively, by pivot-pins 89 and 90 to a block 91 of insulating material, secured by screws 92M) the bracket 3. Associated with the lever 93 is a combined stop and contact-linger 95 upon the insulating-block, and similarly associated with the lever 94- is a combined stop and contact linger 96. A spring 97 tends to draw the rear\vardly-extending ends of the levers together, and hence to maintain the levers in engagement with their respective parts 95 and 96. These latter are included in the electric circuit, as will appear hereinafter. The free ends of the lovers 93 and 94 project across the path of tappets or blocks 87 and 88, secured to the edges of the belt near the ends of the latter. When, therefore, the belt is nearly unwound from one roller or the other, the corresponding tappet 8701' 88 approaches the lever at that side, and further movement of the belt will shift, through the cooperation of the tappet and the lever, the lever out of engagement with the spring finger, thus l lead 130 of the power-circuit.) The other conbreaking the circuit and eventually stopping further movement of the motor.

In the illustrated organization either a single switch for starting the motors of all the indicators on the train may be used or any desired number of switches may be provided, located at desired points, and the actuation of any one of which accomplishes the common result of causing the belt of each and every indicator to move forward a step. Various switch constructions may be employed, that illustrated particularly in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 being one found adapted to the purpose. The switch construction illustrated embraces a drum 101 of non-conducting material whose shaft 99 is rotatably mounted upon a supporting-plate 98. This drum is urged by a spring 105 (one of whose ends is secured to the drum and whose other end is fastened to the projection 106 of the plate 98) to its normal position defined by a stop 107, projecting from the drum and adapted to engage with parts of the mount 98. This drum may be rotated against the tension of the spring by a pull .109, secured to a cord 108, which wraps around the drumu Pressing against the surface of the drum are a number of pairs of brushes or contacts 115, 116, 121, and 122, but two pairs being indicated. The former contacts of the two pairs here shown are located in holders 113 114, supported by an arm 110, secured to the baseplate 98 by screws 112 and perforated for the reception of encircling bushings 117 118 of non-conducting material. The holders are recessed to receive the contacts and respective projecting springs 120, the holders also hav ing binding-screws for theattachment of conducting-wires. The companion contacts 121 122 of the pairs are located in holders 124 123, passing through bushings 128 127, located in the perforated arm 111, attached to the baseplate 98. These latter holders are also provided with binding-screws for the attachment of circuit-wires. The holders 124 123 are also recessed to receive the contacts and projecting springs 126. In each switch there are as many pairs of the said brushes or contacts as there are indicators to be operated, and when the drum of 'a switch is in its normal position that is, the position determined by its stop-- the contacts aforesaid rest against the nonconducting periphery of the drum, and hence break the continuity of the circuit between the respective contacts of each pair thereof. hen, however, by operating the pull 109 the drum is shifted, the continuity of each aforesaid circuit is established through a proper metallic or conducting piece 104, one for each pair on the drum. It may here be promised that corresponding contacts of all the pairs thereof are all connected together and with one side of the power-circuit. (See, for instance, the wires 133 and 134 of Fig. 9, connecting the corresponding contacts all with the plus tact of the pairs thereof, however, are each connected with a wire running to one of the indicators, each such wire being in electrical connection with the armature of one of the indicator-motors and the motor with which one wire is connected being a different one from those to which all the other wires lead.

Referring now to the circuits diagrammatic ally set forth in Fig. 9, I have represented in a conventional way the circuits of two separate indicator apparatus; but it will be understood that any desired number of such indicators may be used, the circuits for each being substantially as illustrated and the only change necessitated by increase in numbers being that of adding a neutral wire for each additional indicator and correspondingly increasing the number of pairs of brushes in each switch. in the diagrammatic View two switches are indicated, one designated by 98 and the other by 132. It is manifest from the description hereinbefore given that either one of these switches when actuated will cause the energized power-leads to actuate the 1110- tors of both indicators. The neutral wire for the indicator represented in the upper portion of the figure is designated by 135 and that for the lower indicator of the figure by 146. The wiring of the indicators includes shunt-circuits about the worm-wheels thereof, which wheels, it will be remembered, are provided each with a non-conducting piece normally breaking the circuit. The shunt-circuit of the upper indicator is designated by 136 and that for the lower indicator by 147. Assuming, therefore, that one of the circuit-controlling switches has been actuated, thereby electrically connecting all of the neutral wires through the switch with their respective shunt-circuits, the energized circuit of the upper indicator may be traced as follows, to Wit: the plus power-lead 130, the connections 133 and 134, and the contact-pieces of the switch, the neutral wire 135, shunt 136, armature of the motor 51, connections 137 138, contact-finger 79, (assuming the lever 73 to be thrown to the left from its indicated disconnected position,) plate 75 of the lever, finger 80, wire 139, finger 85, connection 140, motor-magnets 52 53, connection 141, contactpiece 95 and arm 93 of the safety device, connection 142, contact-finger 81, contact-plate 76, contact-finger 82, connections 143 and 144, magnets and 66 of the brake, connection 145 to the minus lead 131 of the power-circuit. When the motor has started rotating, the worm-wheel 41 will shift the non-conductingpiece 56 thereon out from under the contactpiece 57, and the circuit will then be completed through the connection 176 in electrical connection with the plus power-lead, the connection 177, worm-wheel 41, connection 178, and connection 179 to the motor. Hence even though the switch be released,

teams thus breaking the connection of the neutral wire and the plus power-lead, the motor will still be energized and continue to rotate for a full turn of the worm-wheel and until the conducting-block 56 thereon is brought under the brush 57. In order to minimize sparking, when the brush 57 passes from the metallic portion of the worm-wheel to the block of insulating material, a condenser 185 may [0 be provided, which through connections 186 and 187 is shunted around the worm-wheel. Similarly for the indicator at the lower part of the figure, assuming the switch to have been actuated, thereby energizing the neutral wire 1&6 of this indicator and the switch-arm 129 thereof to be in its left-hand position, current will pass from the plus power-lead through the shunt 1 17 to the armature of the motor 148, then through connections M9 and 150, contact-linger .151, metallic plate 152, contactdinger 155, connection 154, contactlinger 155, connection 156, i'notor-magnets 157 l58,connection 159, contact-linger 160 of the safety device and arm 161 thereof, connection 162, contact-linger 163, metallic plate 16a, contact-linger 165, connections 166 and i167, brake-magnet coils 168 169, and connection 170 to the minus power-lead. As before, when the block of insulating material 184 is shifted by the rotation of the wormwheel 172 out from under the brush 173 current will then pass directly from the plus power-lead to the connections 180 and 181, worm-wheel 172, and connections 182 183 to the armature of the motor 1&8. A condenser 188 for a purpose similar to that of the one already mentioned is shunted around the worm-wheel through the connections 189 and 190. When any lever of the reversing-switch associated with an indicator is thrown to its opposite or right-hand position in Fig. 9, the direction of the current through the motormagnets is reversed and the latter rotates in the opposite direction, thereby reversing the direction of motion of the indicator-belt. T he circuit for the upper portion of Fig. 9 for such reversal may be thus traced from the connection 137. It completed through the connection 192, arm 9 1 of the safety device,

50 the associated contact-finger 96 thereof, connection 193, contact-linger 83, metallic plate 75, contact-linger 8 1, connection 191, coils 53 and 52 of the motor-magnets, connection 1 10, contact-finger 85, metallic plate 7 6, contact- 1inger86, connections 195 and 1 14, coils and 66 of the brake, and connection 1415, as before, and the circuit for the lower portion of such figure for the reversal may be thus traced from the connection 149. It is com- 60 pleted through the connection 196, arm 197 of the safety device, the associated contact-linger 198, connection 199, contact-linger 200, metallic plate 152, contact-1ingcr 201, connection 202, coils 158 and 157 of the motormagnet, connection 156, contact-linger 155,

4 metallic plate 164, contact-finger 203, connections 204- and 167, coils 166 and 169 of the brake, and connection 170, as before. ltwill be readily understood that the neutral wire of each indicator when the motors rotate in this opposite direction is temporarily encr gized, the circuits being afterward completed through the respective worm-wheels, as before.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. The combination with an electric circuit of an electric motor included therein, an indication-carrier adapted to bedriven by the motor, means for making and breaking the circuit to control the motor and thereby the movement of the carrier, and a safety device comprising means independent of said makeandbriak means for autrnnatically breaking the circuit when the carrier has reached the end of its travel.

2. The combination with an electric circuit, of an electric motor included therein; a belt provided with iinlit'zations and adapted to be driven by said motor; a pair of rollers upon which the ends of said belt are wound; tappets secured one adjacent to one end of the belt and the other adjacent to the opposite end; and a circuit-ln-eakingdeviceinterposed in the path of said tappets substantially for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with an electric circuit, of an electric motor included therein; a belt provided with indications and adapted to be driven by said motor; tension rollers upon which the ends of said belt are wound; tappets secured one adjacent to one end of the belt and the other adjacent to the opposite end thereof; and a pair of circuit-breaking levers included in said circuit and interposed in the path of said tappets.

1. The combination of an electric circuit; an electric motor included therein; a worm driven by the motor; a wo1'n'1wheel with which said worm engages; said worm-wheel beingincluded in said circuit; a belt provided with indications and carrying a tappet adjacent to each end; tension-rollers upon which the ends of such belts are mounted; an actuating-drum engaging with said belt by a pindrive connection; an interrupted-gear connection between said worm-wheel and said drum; a block of insulating material on the worm-wheel; a contact device included in said circuit and which is adapted to engage with the face of the worm-wheel and with said block thereon; a brake and electromagnets to hold the same inoperative also included in said circuit; and a safety device comprising a circuitbreaker included in said circuit and adapted to be actuated from said tappcts on the belt.

ERNEST li. ADA MS.

\Vitnesses:

1: L. i l/mas, JouN U. Smrmrr. 

